Man of Her Dreams, one of my three contemporary novels, received a lovely review I had to share.

REVIEW: I love contemporary books, and there's something about small town romance that really attracts me to them. This book was one such story. I liked it right from the beginning!

Jared Kane really was the perfect man - he owned a Ducati (sexy!), he had a fit body (waggles eyebrows), and he was a normal guy. I wouldn't know how to explain the last one, but he was a great guy. I'd totally want a guy like him in my life (please).

"Oh for Pete's sake." Lindsay stomped over to Jared, grabbed the towel out of her bag and sat beside him, glaring at everyone around the circle. "Grow a pair. You'd think I was a child.""Tough crowd." He bumped her shoulder and said in a low voice, "You like my kisses.""That's all you got out of this?""Well, yeah. That one kind of stood out."

Lindsay was the kind of woman I would admire. She was strong, independent, but also a relatable woman. She was a puddle of nerves around Jared, which was just so adorable.

Besides the chemistry between Jared and Lindsay, I loved the supporting characters. Lindsay's friendship with Tina was something I wish I had as well, and Lindsay's relationship with her family was something I envied. Anyway, they were all amazing. Lindsay's other brother was funny because he liked to eat...A LOT!

"Get your mind out of the gutter, geez. Ever since you became pregnant, you've become a walking, talking hormone."

One thing that I did like about this story was the purity ring. I wouldn't go into detail, but that was quite the twist and I did enjoy that.

There was so many aspect of this book that I enjoyed, but if I reveal any more, then you wouldn't want to read the book. So, just take my word for it and trust me that this book was such a joy to read. I honestly just wanted to read it and forget about everything else.

Miss Caroline Bingley has a 'new do' and in honor of her recent make-over, I'm giving away two digital copies of CAROLINE: Pride & Prejudice continued... Book One. All you have to do is leave a comment below, and Rafflecopter and I will do the rest.

While your here, isn't she lovely? Cover art by Teresa Spreckelmeyer of The Midnight Muse. Teresa is on a much needed vacation until January 2019 so there is no new cover art to display at this time, however, browse through her portfolio and you will get a clear picture of just how talented this lady is.

Winners have until November 24, 2018 to download their book.

Whatever
happened to Caroline Bingley after her brother and unrequited love interest
married a Bennet sister? Join me in this story of redemptive love and the
healing of broken dreams.

Caroline
Bingley, beyond frustrated with her brother, Charles and Mr. Darcy both
proposing to the Bennet sisters, dreads their upcoming nuptials. For three
years her sole focus has been on attaining a marriage proposal from one
Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, only to be foiled by a country miss with ‘fine
eyes’. Adrift and not sure of her place
in life, she meets the mysterious and devastatingly handsome Lord Nathan, who
equally vexes and intrigues her.

Lord
Nathan Kerr, third in line to a Dukedom, had a well-earned reputation as a
Rake. He cast all that and his noble title aside to become Mr. Darcy’s vicar in
Kympton, finding contentment in leading his small flock and doing the Lord’s
work. His plan for a quiet, country life is thrown into upheaval when he meets
the fiery Miss Bingley. Can he reconcile his rising desire for the spoiled miss
with how a vicar’s wife ‘should’ behave?

Ever since my 'incident', I have NOT been sleeping well. When you don't get enough zzzz's... cranky can't begin to describe the mood. DH had business in Toronto and took me along for a treat. We checked into the hotel around four p.m. and I fell asleep on the couch watching TV. I woke up around eleven o'clock, crawled into bed and slept through until six a.m. So much for our romantic dinner out. However, this is the first time in weeks I slept through with no pain. Hallelujah!

Ah well, we had a lovely breakfast. Don't feel too bad for hubby. He fell asleep beside me on the couch. After thirty-five years + of marriage, I guess that's acceptable.

Here is this week's offering. I admit to creative punctuation, only so I could comply with the maximum ten line rule. Last week we left off with: "No fear, Miss Bennet. I'm sure the animal is close by. It may be something as simple as an improperly closed latch and the horse has found greener pastures to graze on."

Mary assessed the Colonel carefully.

If there was an improperly closed latch, I'll eat my bonnet. Why would the Colonel set Mr. Camden on a fool's errand?

In a flash she had her answer, Colonel Fitzwilliam wanted the undivided attention of Miss Talbot. Mary was quite aware that the good Colonel had informed Lizzy, upon their first meeting at Rosings Park, that as a second son he was required to marry well. Miss Talbot with her annoying twenty thousand pounds fit the bill to perfection. The fact she was accomplished and beautiful was icing on the proverbial wedding cake.

Who would look twice at a woman of three and twenty with no substantial dowry to speak of? No one. She was practically on the shelf - unmarriageable - she may as well begin scouring the papers for positions as a companion to some woman in their dotage.

To find out the full story behind who/what Weekend Writing Warriors is, and to check out other author's (who knows, you may find a new to you author) click HERE.

I am so glad this week is over, fellow writers. Thank goodness for pain killers and muscle relaxants! Who knew you could get a charlie horse in your diaphragm. Believe me when I tell you that you DON'T want to have that happen.

Onto our next vignette. We left off with Mary joining Mr. Camden, Mr. Lucas and Miss Talbot for a game of cards. Although I don't mention this, they are playing whist, a game I've played since I was a eight.

About to start the game, Colonel Fitzwilliam appeared beside Mr. Camden, leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Startled by whatever news the Colonel had imparted, Mr. Camden stood and excused himself.

"Shall I take Mr. Camden's spot, seeing as he has been called elsewhere?"

Without waiting for an answer, the Colonel dropped into the vacated chair across from Mary.

"What has called Mr. Camden away?" Miss Talbot asked.

"It appears his horse has somehow escaped its stall - quite the mystery. He's gone to help the stable master find the beast."

"Oh dear, I do hope there are no horse thieves in the area," Mary said, wondering if she should alert her father to the possibility of a horse thief terrorizing the residents of Meryton.

"No fear, Miss Bennet, I'm sure the animal is close by. It may be something as simple as an improperly closed latch and the horse has found greener pastures to graze on."

Hmmm.... I think the mystery of where Colonel Fitzwilliam disappeared might have been solved. Will the other guests come to the same conclusion?

To find out how you can participate in this weekly blog hop/writing exercise as well as read other talented author's snippets, please click HERE.

Have a wonderful week. See you next time when we find out what Mary makes of all this. Until then, hug someone you love and tell them how much they mean to you. Do it. Do it now!

I'm going to apologize right now and get the darn thing out of the way. I completely missed visiting all of you this week. Life has a way of throwing curve balls and mine is going down a twisted path. I'm sure I'll regain my equilibrium, but right now I spend a lot of time wallowing.

There, I said it. I'm wallowing. This too shall pass. It usually does.

Last post, the Colonel disappeared. Does he show up again, or is Mary left to wonder...?

"Miss Bennet, will you complete our foursome?"

She turned to face Mr. Camden, and once again a broad smile illuminated his handsome face. Idly, she wondered, did he grin like that through the night? How unsettling that would be for his future wife, to roll over and find him smiling at her in his sleep. She suppressed an involuntary shudder. That was something she had no intention of ever finding out.

Although her thoughts were less than lady-like, she presented a serene façade, worthy of her sister Jane and replied, "Of course, Mr. Camden. Lead the way."

He offered her his arm and escorted her to a table whereupon they were joined by Jonathan Lucas and, or course, Miss Talbot of twenty thousand pounds. Would she never be free of the simpering miss?

Take the time and visit the Weekend Writing Warriors website for rules and links to other authors who participate in this fun weekly blog hop. Join us. It's good to be pushed to write and share. You can access their website by clicking HERE:

When we left last week, the Colonel had caught Mary growling in frustration over the talented Miss Talbot's pianoforte playing. Tsk, tsk, tsk... We ended with him whispering, "Did you just growl?"

"No," she whispered back.

"I have the keen ear of a hunter and I heard a decided growl."

"I did not growl." She partially turned in her chair to face him, earning a glare from Mama. Instantly she faced forward, her face burning in embarrassment. Teasing, teasing man!

Miss Talbot finished the piece and stood to enthusiastic applause, appearing overwhelmed by the response, but Mary caught the satisfied smile which graced her face before she lowered her eyes and curtsied. Miss Talbot joined the other guests, who were forming groups in order to play whist. Obviously, Mama was still unsure of her skill at the pianoforte and so decided to move the evening along without her remaining single daughter exhibiting.

Of Colonel Fitzwilliam, there was no sign. He'd slipped out as quietly as he'd entered.

Now, where could the Colonel have gone? To read other author's offerings in this weekly writing exercise, please click HERE.

A week has gone by since DH and I embarked on this journey. Neither of us have ever monitored what we eat and there's a bit of a learning curve in this adventure. Not that we eat 'unhealthy', only that we've never consciously thought about WHAT we are consuming.

Having said that, the week was interesting. I'm not sure I like the fact that I'm obsessed with food. I'm sure as we settle into this 'thing' I won't spend almost every waking moment worrying about how I can reduce fat/salt/bad cholesterol - it will all become second nature - but right now I'm poring over articles and blog posts trying to learn something new.

We're kind of a funny pair. DH has to adjust to no snacking and I have to add snacks. He has to reduce his consumption and I have to increase mine. We definitely are two sides of the same coin, and I know this will all work out.

As of yesterday, I've lot 6.2 pounds. My first goal is ten and the final goal is thirty. I've heard/read the first few weeks you shed weight quite quickly with a plateau of sorts to follow, but ten is my first goal and this makes me happy. I truly don't care if the rest comes off more slowly as long as it doesn't come back on.... DH says he has lost some pounds, but he mumbled his number so I think he's a bit discouraged.

Don't worry, honey. I'm going to hide the ketchup and see if that makes a difference next week....

I'm going to post something I borrowed from the Herbal One (TM) website about mindful eating. For the full article, click the embedded link to their site.

PUT THE WEIGH SCALE AWAY

This doesn't mean to totally avoid weighing yourself. But the weight scale can be one of your worst enemies. Regardless of how you try to lose weight, you will have good days and bad days.

When you hop on the scale and the numbers don't deliver the news you're looking for, it can be devastating. So much so that you fail to see your real progress. The progress that you make everyday, regardless of what the scale tells you.

Remember, you're on a journey toward a more mindful eating, better health and weight loss. The scale only measures one, and it's not really the best way to do even that.

By putting away the weigh scale deep in a closet, instead of leaving it temptingly on the bathroom floor, you'll need to be more mindful in using it, and better prepared for whatever news it brings.

Well, Warriors, the dinner party is winding down. What will Mrs. Bennet do with the pineapples and birch saplings...?

Later in the evening the men rejoined the women in the drawing room where the unmarried ladies sang and played the pianoforte. All but Mary had performed, and she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to after listening to Miss Talbot, currently playing a difficult piece by Beethoven.

The music climbed to a dramatic crescendo, then dipped into a soothing repast and everyone in the room seemed enthralled with her performance. Mary made a noise, deep in her throat. Miss Talbot of twenty thousand pounds was quite skilled. A fact she'd glossed over quite prettily when asked if she played.

"Did you just growl?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked in a low voice.

She nearly jumped. She hadn't realized he had come into the room. He'd sat directly behind her right shoulder and she wouldn't have seen him unless she turned her head away from the performance.

Uh oh....

If you'd like to check other authors who play along with us in this fun weekly blog hop, check out the Weekend Writing Warriors website by clicking HERE

Take a breath, I'm not going to post every day in this journey, but I am going to TRY and post weekly, letting you know how I'm doing, starting with today.

Hubby and I have embarked on a journey to have a healthier lifestyle. Food is not my enemy - I don't live to eat, but this doesn't mean I eat the right foods either. So, for me, I need to boost my metabolism and make myself eat three meals a day. I am one who only eats when hungry and I'm not a big snacker. This leads to my body storing up food for the 'next' time I eat. My challenge is to eat even when I don't feel hungry, such as now. It's lunch time and I have to make something for DH and I.

Hubby's challenge is to become more active and cut down on the snacking/sweets. Poor man. I think that will be his biggest hurdle. He has a HUGE sweet tooth.

If you're looking to start a healthier life style, one of the places you can begin is to create your space in the kitchen and get in the mind set to plan ahead your meals. Why plan ahead? So you know what to buy when you grocery shop and not get sidetracked while shopping.

Three Steps to Better Shopping

Plan Your Meals

If you visit the grocery store once a week, starting planning your meals a week in advance. If you find it too difficult to do a whole week’s meal planning, break it into more manageable chunks, like planning only your dinners. I always think of that question, 'How do you eat an elephant?' One bite at at time. Don't let this step overwhelm you. Do what's necessary and next week, add a bit more to your meal planning.

Make Sure Your Pantry has Everything You Need

Before you finish your list, check your cupboards or pantry. As you start to memorize recipes, or customize them to your tastes, it’s not always easy to remember all the ingredients you’ll need for a every dish.Also, the more cooking you do on your own, the sooner you’ll run short of some of the basics, like condiments and oils. A well-stocked pantry will help you avoid the disappointment of not having all the ingredients you need for a certain recipe – and avoid the unexpected trip to the grocery store to get them.

Get More Herbs & Spices

One of the biggest complaints when people start cooking and eating healthier food is that it tastes bland. That’s because there is less fat, salt and sugar in it. Herbs and spices offer some very tasty options for getting more flavour into your dishes without adding extra calories. Also, you can use essential oils in place of dried herbs. I personally use Oil of Oregano and Oil of Basil in my spaghetti sauce. You can check out my essential oil page by clicking this image found on the right side bar. This is only two of many oils you can add to your diet/drinks.

https://www.myyl.com/suebarr

This challenge hubby and I embark on is a lifestyle change. Are we going to make mistakes. Yup. Will we cheat once and while. You betcha, but overall, we are deciding to give our bodies a better chance of keeping us around for a little longer. Weight loss will occur, but the funny thing, that's not our biggest motivator. We both want to decrease the amount of fat coating our inner organs and have more energy.

Hello again. My Weekend Writing Warrior contribution continues with the interminable dinner party and the huge table centerpiece, which seems to have taken on a life of its own.... Creative license with punctuation taken to adhere to WeWriWa guidelines.

"Excuse me, Mr. Lucas, I was, ummm..., admiring the small birch saplings near the end of the epergne."

What must he think? She caught Mama giving her a knowing wink and her insides shriveled in horror. Oh no, Mama probably thought she'd offered Mr. Lucas an opportunity to peek down the bodice of her dress. Why had she allowed her mother, of all people, to choose her attire for the evening? For one who claimed there was never enough lace on dresses, she'd whipped the fichu from her bodice within seconds of coming downstairs and told her she seemed too frothy. Frothy? No amount of cajoling budged her mother once she'd removed the offending scrap of lace, and so she'd spent most of the evening adjusting the shoulders of her gown in an attempt to pull the bodice up at least a modest half inch.

Mr. Lucas' eyes flicked downward before he snapped them back to her face. Dear God, how much longer could this meal go on?

Thank you for stopping by and all the encouraging words. If you'd like to visit other author's blogs in this fun writing exercise, then stop by Weekend Writing Warrior's website and click the links found there for other talented writers. Click HERE

Hello again. We know this dinner party has been agonizing for Richard, but how is Mary doing on her side between the handsome Mr. Camden and Jonathan Lucas? We ended with 'No matter how far she craned her neck, she couldn't see past the veritable Sherwood Forest Mama had planted down the center of the table.

Enjoy.

Where in the world
had she found palm fronds, as well as pineapples? The cost of those alone would
make a sane man weep over his ledgers. Ever since Mama became informed of
Papa’s elevated rank she’d felt the need to go over the top in her
entertaining. Hopefully, soon, she’d return to her senses and become the
elegant hostess they all knew she was. Scratch that thought. Hoped she
could be again.

“Are you quite all right,
Miss Bennet?”

She gave a start
and glanced up at Jonathan Lucas, seated to her right. It was at that moment
she realized how close she’d leaned toward his seat in order to look around
the wall of palm fronds, pineapples and other fauna. She sat upright
immediately.

Oh dear.

To link up to other authors blog posts as well the 'rules' of Weekend Writing Warriors, click HERE
Until next week,

We continue with the agonizing dinner Richard is sitting through which ended with him muttering 'Broken teeth' when Miss Talbot asked what the others were talking about on the other side of the table. Fortunately, we will now see Mary's side of the scene.

"I beg your pardon?"

Dear God, how much longer would this meal go on? He caught himself up and turned to her with a bland smile. "I have no idea."

~~~oo0oo~~~

Mary offered a tight smile at Mr. Camden's attempt at humor. The man was utterly dreary. Beautiful to look at, but with the intelligence of a donkey. How cruel you are Mary, and she silently apologized to all the donkeys in England. She wondered how Colonel Fitzwilliam was doing, seated next to Lady Northcott and the highly eligible Miss Talbot of twenty thousand pounds.

No matter how far she craned her neck, she couldn't see past the veritable Sherwood Forest Mama had planted down the center of the table.

For information on how you can participate in Weekend Writing Warriors and/or to check out other author's works, click HERE

Here we are again at the end of another week. I don't know about you but I feel absolutely soggy. If we don't have torrential rain pouring down, the humidity in the air makes you think you have a wet blanket wrapped around your body. However, the plants and grass love it, and I don't have to water them, so win/win for me.

The Honorable Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam cannot see Miss Bennet or the annoying Mr. Camden over a HUGE epergne which squats in the center of the dining table, but he sure can hear them.

When Mr. Camden laughed again, Richard growled. Lady Northcott, seated to his right, asked if he were feeling well.

"Yes, Lady Northcott, just clearing my throat," he muttered and cleared his throat again in an attempt to assure her of his truthfulness.

He knew why Mrs. Bennet had seated Mary next to the guffawing baboon. No doubt she'd noticed Mr. Camden's ostentatious flirting within seconds of their meeting.

Laughter once again rang like church bells from that side of the table and he had the sudden urge to leap across the table and rearrange Mr. Camden's perfect face into something more abstract. If it weren't for that damnable centerpiece, he at least could tell if Mary were falling for the soon to be toothless idiot.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Miss Talbot, seated to his left asked after the last round of mirth subsided.

"Broken teeth," Richard muttered.

Thanks for joining me today in this fun writing blog hop. If you wish to visit other authors and to find out more about what Weekend Writing Warriors is all about, click HERE.

I am back! The last time I posted to Weekend Writing Warriors was in March of this year. Please forgive me for being so tardy, but... real life intrudes.

During my 'hiatus' I published CATHERINE. Thank you to all of you who commented on the posts that featured Kitty and Lord George. I had a wonderful time promoting her and stacked up some lovely reviews.

This story, MARY, is one I dabble with when taking a break from GEORGIANA, Book Three of my Pride & Prejudice continued... series. MARY focuses on Miss Mary Bennet of Longbourn and Mr. Darcy's cousin, The Honorable Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.

Considerable license taken with punctuation and sentence structure to meet the 10 line requirement of this fun writing exercise.

Mary was seated
directly across the table from him, not that he could see her past the
elaborate epergne that graced the center of the table. But he could hear
laughter. Copious amounts of laughter and all of it from the men seated around
her. The loudest came from the young gentleman he’d been introduced to only an
hour ago - Mr. Timothy Camden. Heir presumptive to the Camden baronetcy. Richard
loathed him on sight.

The man was so beautiful, there was no other word for it, he may as well have been painted by Michelangelo - it was unnatural. But the coup de grace happened when upon being introduced to Miss Bennet,
he took her hand in his and kissed it, proclaiming her beauty should be put to
paint.

He'd like to put something to paint, and it wouldn't be the lovely face of Miss Bennet.

To check out what this weekly blog hop is all about and to find other authors who participate, please click HERE.

Below are the three winners selected through Rafflecopter by the lovely Claudine Pepe of JustJane1813. I'm in the middle of re-formatting Catherine, but as soon as that's complete - copies are OFF to the winners.

I'd love to see you there and don't forget to enter the giveaway. Grand Prize winner will receive their choice of an autographed print book or digital, two other entrants will win a digital copy of Catherine. Good luck!Always with love,

Today I received my PDF for the full print cover of Catherine and I just have to share. She's so beautiful and my cover artist, Teresa Sprekelmeyer of Midnight Muse Designs is absolutely FABULOUS! If you love Regency cover art, she's your go-to designer.

Without further ado - my full cover.

I planned on releasing the print edition closer to August, but as long as I limit distribution to Amazon, I can bring the date forward. I want all versions available for my readers, and can't wait to get my hands on an actual copy as well.